Kanjoin (Toji Temple)

… [Ueshima Yu]
[Cathedrals and Cultural Assets]
As it has suffered frequent natural disasters and fires, none of the original architecture remains, and everything has been rebuilt since the Kamakura period, but it still has paintings and sculptures that are extremely valuable in the history of esoteric Buddhist art, as well as a large number of ancient documents (Toji documents). Facing Kujo Street, the temple complex has the Great South Gate (1601, Important Cultural Property), with the Kondo (1603, National Treasure), Lecture Hall (1491, Important Cultural Property), and Dining Hall lined up in a straight line to the north, the Five-Story Pagoda (1644, National Treasure) to the southeast, and Kanjoin (1634, Important Cultural Property) to the southwest. Surrounded by a clay wall, there are the Keigamon Gate and the Great East Gate on the east side, the Kitamon Gate (Kamakura period, both Important Cultural Properties) on the north side, and the Rengemon Gate (1191, National Treasure) on the west side. Although it is a reconstruction, the main buildings appear to have been preserved in their original locations, following the layout of the temple buildings of the great temples of Nara.

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Kanjoin (Toji Temple)" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…【上島 有】
［伽藍と文化財］
　たびたび天災や兵火にみまわれたため，創建当初の建築は残らず，すべて鎌倉時代以降の再建であるが，密教美術史上きわめて貴重な絵画，彫刻をはじめ，膨大な古文書類(東寺文書)も伝存している。　伽藍は九条通りに面して南大門(1601，重要文化財)を構え，北に一直線に金堂(1603，国宝)，講堂(1491，重要文化財)，食堂を並べ，南東に五重塔(1644，国宝)，南西に灌頂院(1634，重要文化財)を配し，築地塀をめぐらせて東辺には慶賀門と東大門，北辺に北門(鎌倉時代，いずれも重要文化財)，西辺に蓮華門(1191，国宝)の諸門を開ける。再建ではあるが，主要堂舎は奈良の諸大寺の伽藍配置を受け継いだ創建伽藍の旧位置を守っているとみられる。…

※「灌頂院（東寺）」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報